District gains additional water conservation lands at Lake Washington

A newly acquired 1,200-acre parcel at the south end of Lake Washington (shown on either side of the snaking portion of the river) provides additional wetlands protection along the St. Johns River.

PALATKA, Fla., May 11, 2021 — The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board on Tuesday approved a land exchange that will increase District conservation land on the St. Johns River by 1,200 acres. The property is adjacent to Lake Washington and the District’s River Lakes and Three Forks conservation areas and will further the District’s work to protect and restore water resources.

“This land exchange is a win for the St. Johns River and the District’s conservation areas,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Assistant Executive Director Lisa Kelley. “We’re exchanging land with limited hydrological and ecological value for a property that provides an expansive wetland buffer at the south end of Lake Washington, which provides drinking water to the greater Melbourne area.”

Under the agreement, the District will exchange 288 acres of mostly pasturelands in Three Forks Conservation Area for a 1,200-acre parcel offered by Malabar Holdings Group LLC. In addition, Malabar Holdings Group LLC will pay the District $5.02 million and up to $25,000 in expenses.

The site was identified in the 2012 District Lands Assessment Implementation Plan, and staff recently evaluated the 288 acres as suitable for surplus.